Cracks in the European Egg Market Deepen as the Bird Flu, Inflation Rage On

Confronted with what some have labeled a “winter of discontent” amid soaring inflation, consumers throughout the European Union appear to be leaning more heavily on eggs as a low-cost source of protein. But while eggs by nature are more affordable than competing proteins, part of their recent affordability is somewhat artificial in nature—not reflective of current market conditions but rather the result of retailers’ unwillingness to pay farmers a sustainable price for their eggs—or to pass those prices on to consumers.

The situation is much the same in the UK. According to Farming UK, the British Free Range Egg Producers Association advised retailers last November and again this February that its members could not continue to produce eggs at a loss and requested a 40p/dozen increase. They warned that there would be a scarcity of eggs going into the Christmas period if the situation was not addressed, but their pleas were largely disregarded. And now, the very shortages they warned of have come to pass. Faced with limited supplies, and in some cases, empty shelves, some of the UK’s largest retailers—Tesco, Lidl and Asda among them—are restricting customers to 2-3 boxes of eggs per shopper, a move that is expected to last beyond Christmas.

ANALYSIS: Shell Egg Prices Crack New Record Highs Amid Strong Demand, Depleted Inventories

The U.S. shell egg market cracked a new all-time high on Tuesday, as strong demand continues to chip away at already-low inventory levels, which have been curtailed by this year’s bird flu outbreak and, more recently, seasonal flock rotations...

FDA Issues Final Guidance for Shell Egg Producers Providing Laying Hens with Access to Areas Outside

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued final guidance for shell egg producers on how to comply with certain provisions in the final rule titled, "Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation” (egg rule).

The final guidance, “Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation (Layers with Access to Areas Outside the Poultry House): Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule,” is the FDA’s fourth guidance to help industry comply with the egg...

ANALYSIS: Shell-Egg Prices Soar Past Record-High Levels on Strong Demand, Supply Constraints

After climbing to the highest level on record July 1, the US table-grade market continues to advance—albeit at a less accelerated pace than what was seen in the back half of June...

ANALYSIS: Shell Egg Prices Soar to Six-Week High Amid Strong Demand, Reduced Outputs

With only two small commercial egg-laying farms impacted by high-path avian influenza in the month of May, it seemed as though the bird flu was largely in the rear view...

ANALYSIS: Shell Egg and Egg Product Values Soar as Bird Flu Claims More than 10 Million Laying Hens

As we prepared to enter the second quarter of the year—and the second year of the pandemic—it appeared that COVID-19 was finally moving into the rearview and that the nation was poised to return to some semblance of normalcy...